BelovedBeloved

ByBy ToniToni MorrisonMorrison ToniToni MorrisonMorrison

BornBorn ChloeChloe AnthonyAnthony WoffordWofford

RaisedRaised inin OhioOhio

MarriedMarried andand divorceddivorced withwith twotwo childrenchildren

UndergraduateUndergraduate degreedegree fromfrom HowardHoward UniversityUniversity andand aa MastersMasters degreedegree fromfrom CornellCornell UniversityUniversity inin EnglishEnglish

HasHas beenbeen anan editoreditor atat RandomRandom HouseHouse

CurrentlyCurrently teachesteaches atat PrincetonPrinceton UniversityUniversity WhenWhen MorrisonMorrison publishedpublished BelovedBeloved

therethere waswas outrageoutrage inin thethe blackblack communitycommunity whenwhen sheshe diddid notnot receivereceive thethe NationalNational BookBook Award.Award.

aa groupgroup ofof AfricanAfrican --AmericanAmerican writerswriters tooktook outout anan adad inin TheThe NewNew YorkYork TimesTimes praisingpraising BelovedBeloved.. received a Pulitzer Prize Prize Pulitzer a received received a Pulitzer Prize Prize Pulitzer a received and Nobel Prize for Literature for Prize Nobel and and Nobel Prize for Literature for Prize Nobel and

Beloved Beloved Beloved InIn aa NewNew YorkYork TimesTimes pollpoll ofof 200200 critics,critics, writers,writers, andand editors,editors, BelovedBelovedwaswas namednamed ““thethe singlesingle bestbest workwork ofof AmericanAmerican fictionfiction publishedpublished inin thethe lastlast twentytwenty --fivefive years.years. ”” slave slave slave slave - - is is is is

Beloved Beloved Beloved based on the true story of an ex an of story true the on based to attempts who Garner, Margaret named from them prevent to children her kill slavery. to returning based on the true story of an ex an of story true the on based to attempts who Garner, Margaret named from them prevent to children her kill slavery. to returning

SojournerSojourner TruthTruth ’’ss AinAin ’’tt II aa Woman?Woman?

doublydoubly oppressedoppressed womanwoman –– AfricanAfrican --AmericanAmerican –– WomanWoman –– 1919 th centurycentury How is a woman, and a mother, in an especially good position to demonstrate the inhumanity of slavery?

Her style mimics the call and response tradition in African-American preaching and song. You will see the same in Beloved. Slave Slave

The Narrative of the Life of of Life the of Narrative The of Life the of Narrative The This introduction describes some of the the of some describes introduction This most basic dehumanizing aspects of of aspects dehumanizing basic most slavery. feeling the reader the for alive brings He shoes. his in reader the put to slave, a of This introduction describes some of the the of some describes introduction This Frederick Douglass, an American American an Douglass, Frederick American an Douglass, Frederick of aspects dehumanizing basic most slavery. feeling the reader the for alive brings He shoes. his in reader the put to slave, a of



GuidingGuiding QuestionsQuestions

WhatWhat isis thethe pointpoint ofof rere --enteringentering thethe lowlow pointspoints ofof historyhistory inin suchsuch aa deepdeep personalpersonal way?way?

HolocaustHolocaust survivorssurvivors ’’ mottomotto isis ““NeverNever forget.forget. ”” Why?Why? TheThe PlotPlot

TwoTwo plotsplots –– 1818 yearsyears apartapart –– toldtold inin fragmentsfragments simultaneouslysimultaneously –– looklook forfor connectionsconnections // contrastscontrasts betweenbetween thethe twotwo

Plot A – outskirts of Cincinnati, Ohio (124 Bluestone Road) Plot B – Sweet Home farm in Kentucky (Pulaski County) TheThe storystory isis toldtold throughthrough rememoryrememory,, aa kindkind ofof psychicpsychic hauntinghaunting inin whichwhich thethe specificsspecifics ofof aa traumatictraumatic incidentincident areare toldtold andand retold,retold, eveneven asas thethe tellerteller triestries toto blockblock theirtheir fullfull emergenceemergence intointo thethe consciousconscious mind.mind.

Rememory is both a reconciliation and a vexation, both a healing and a wounding. MorrisonMorrison onon BelovedBeloved

““ItIt waswas absolutelyabsolutely thethe rightright thingthing toto do,do, butbut sheshe hadhad nono rightright toto dodo it.it. II thinkthink ifif II hadhad seenseen whatwhat sheshe hadhad seen,seen, andand knewknew whatwhat waswas inin store,store, andand II feltfelt thatthat therethere waswas anan afterlifeafterlife ——oror eveneven ifif II feltfelt thatthat therethere wasnwasn ’’tt——II thinkthink II wouldwould havehave donedone thethe samesame thing.thing. ButBut itit ’’ss alsoalso thethe thingthing youyou havehave nono rightright toto do.do. ”” TheThe RealReal MargaretMargaret GarnerGarner

WhenWhen interviewedinterviewed afterafter thethe killing,killing, sheshe waswas consideredconsidered ““calmcalm andand serene.serene. ”” TheThe interviewersinterviewers keptkept commentingcommenting onon howhow sheshe waswas notnot ““frothingfrothing atat thethe mouth,mouth, sheshe waswas notnot aa madwoman.madwoman. ””

SheShe keptkept saying,saying, ““No,No, theythey ’’rere notnot goinggoing toto livelive likelike that.that. TheyThey willwill notnot livelive thethe wayway II havehave lived.lived. ”” MorrisonMorrison ’’ss WordsWords

OneOne ofof thethe nicenice thingsthings thatthat womenwomen dodo isis nurturenurture andand lovelove somethingsomething otherother thanthan themselvesthemselves ——theythey dodo thatthat ratherrather nicely.nicely...... ButBut mothermother lovelove isis alsalsoo aa killer.killer.
II wantedwanted thatthat hauntinghaunting notnot toto bebe reallyreally aa suggestionsuggestion ofof beingbeing bedeviledbedeviled byby thethe past,past, butbut toto havehave itit bebe incarnate,incarnate, toto havehave itit actuallyactually happenhappen thatthat aa personperson entersenters youryour worldworld whowho isis inin factfact thethe deaddead returned,returned, andand youyou getget aa secondsecond chance,chance, aa chancechance toto dodo itit right.right. InformationInformation takentaken fromfrom ……

SophieSophie BellBell ““ThisThis isis NotNot aa StoryStory toto PassPass On:On: TeachingTeaching ToniToni MorrisonMorrison ’’ss BelovedBeloved””

StephenStephen Metcalf,Metcalf, SlateSlate,, ““WhyWhy isis BelovedBeloved BelovedBeloved ??””

Rothstein,Rothstein, MervynMervyn .. ““ToniToni Morrison,Morrison, InIn HerHer NewNew Novel,Novel, DefendsDefends Women.Women. ”” TheThe NewNew YorkYork Times.comTimes.com.. NewNew YorkYork Times,Times, 2626 Aug.Aug. 1987.1987. Web.Web. 3030 Oct.Oct. 2006.2006.